would you like bugs with that?

With your lipstick, that is. Actually, not with... we’re talking crushed beetles - in your lipstick. Sound yuck? It sure gives us the ick!

Unfortunately, many of us have been smooshing insects on our lips our entire life. That’s because one of the most popular red colouring additives for lipstick is carmine, which is made from crushed bugs.

introducing cochineal...

The bugs in question are cochineal. Native to South America, these insects are farmed in Peru and crushed to create the red dye. The dye is then added to lipsticks to create bright reds and other red-tinged shades. (You’ll also find it in food such as ice cream, cupcakes, and berry pies.)

While cochineal-derived carmine is technically a “natural” product rather than a chemical, it’s still an animal by-product. It can take up to 70,000 female cochineals to produce just 500g of carmine dye. Not only does this raise ethical considerations about the products (these insects are specifically farmed in order to be crushed), it’s also a bit yucky.

After all, who actually wants to smoosh and smear crushed bugs on their lips?

hiding in plain sight! (btw, we can see you)

The other problem with colourings like carmine and similar animal by-products is that all too often, the beauty industry hides these ingredients in plain sight on their labelling.

“Cochineal extract” and “carmine” are pretty clear now that you know what they are. If your lipstick is labelled with either of these, it contains crushed bugs, but the manufacturers are at least being honest about it.

However, if your lipstick ingredients include “CI 75470”, “crimson lake”, or “natural red 4” then you’re also smooshing crushed insects on your lips – all while your cosmetic company tries to pretend like you’re not.

what's the alternative?

If you’re as freaked out about the idea of smooshing bugs on your lips as we are, don’t worry. This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your favourite lippie shades. Instead, you can choose natural, non-animal-derived alternatives.

Now we’ll be honest with you – finding these natural, vegan ingredients isn’t easy. But at NEEK Skin Organics, we’ve been doing this for years, so we’re getting good at it.

Our lipstick colours are created using natural micas and pigments. It can be tricky formulating and replicating chemical colours, but we’ve got the hang of it now. In fact, we’re up to 12 gorgeous lippie shades – and counting! Shades that are glossy, bright, bold, and entirely crushed-bug-free.

a final top tip!

If you’ve ever been bamboozled by less-than-straightforward ingredients lists on your makeup (or your food), you’re not alone.

Thankfully, however, there’s an easy solution. Let us introduce one of our favourite apps: Chemical Maze.

With Chemical Maze, you can enter the scientific name for any ingredient you want to explore, and the app will give you a safety rating and let you know if the ingredient is derived from animals, plants, or chemicals. Win-win.

Check out our beetle-free, chemical-free lipstick range here

When it comes to skincare, all the focus tends to be on your face.
But have you spared a thought for the rest of your skin? Especially your hands?

Why worry about your hands?

Of all our bodies’ appendages, our hands get a pretty rough deal.

Just think about it for a moment…

Your hands are regularly exposed to harsh detergents, chemicals, hot water, the sun, and everyday wear and tear. This is a great recipe for skin damage. So it’s no wonder that your hands show signs of ageing more quickly than your face!

What can you do?

Because your hands are out there on the frontline, it’s worth giving them some extra TLC.

To help you get this right, we’ve listed some common signs of hand ageing, and how you can give your hands the right kind of loving to counteract these signs. (Hint: it’s pretty similar to the skin routine you should be following for your face.)

Loss of volume (hello bones and veins!)

You have more control over your hand “volume” than you might realise. In fact, you can take steps to prevent or minimise the appearance of bones and veins showing through.

Regularly using a moisturiser that’s full of active ingredients and antioxidants on your hands can help to make your skin more hydrated – and that means plumper! If you’re on the lookout for a great moisturiser, we always recommend our These Days Active Face Moisturiser because it’s full to the brim with natural, hydrating goodness.

Cracking & dryness

Cracked and dry hands don’t just look uncomfortable – they feel it. But you can take steps to counteract this, including some surprising ones.
The hydrating benefits of moisturiser won’t just make the skin on your hands appear plumper. Regularly moisturising your hands can also help prevent cracking and dryness, making them look and feel softer. And while it might not seem as obvious, gently exfoliating your hands to remove dead skin cells will also help to give your skin a smoother, healthier finish. (Your Miss Divine Face Cleanser can do double-duty as a hand cleanser, so this step is too easy.)

Sun spots & pigmentation

Sun protection is an important, preventative approach to minimising the signs of ageing. But are you including your hands in your sun protection routine?
Hands often cop it from UV rays – especially when you’re driving. Thankfully, this is an easy solve. Simply pop some zinc on the back of your hands if you’re going to be on the road for more than ten minutes during the day. Zinc is an excellent sun blocker and it’s less slippery than sunscreen (pretty important when you’re at the wheel!). So next time you’re applying sunscreen or a hat to protect the rest of your body, spare a thought for your hands too.

It’s easy!

If you’re already following a skincare routine for your face, sparing a moment to take care of your hands is easy! And really, that’s how all skincare should be. Wouldn’t you agree?

We recommend you opt for a good cleanser like our Miss Divine Active Face Cleanser that washes away impurities and makeup (without stripping your skin), soothes and balances (great for acne and blemishes), and protects and sings you a sweet lullaby (… ok, so we did make that last bit up). 

2. Don't get "sheet-faced"

Slippery fabrics cause less friction between your skin and the surface you’re sleeping on. By choosing a satin or silk pillow case, you can reduce creasing and wrinkles and avoid ending up “sheet-faced”.
(As an added benefit, slippery pillow cases are kinder to your hair, meaning fewer tangles to un-tease in the morning.)

PS… while you’re there… because bacteria like sleeping on your pillow case too, it’s also worth changing your pillow case every three days to boost your skin health even further.

3. Get back

Sleeping on your side puts pressure on your skin and causes creasing. Years sleeping on the same side can make that creasing more defined.

Sleeping on your back will help prevent this problem… But when you’ve been sleeping on the same side since you left the womb, we realise this can be easier said than done!

To help you along, try propping yourself up with an extra pillow – “Weekend at Bernie’s” style.

4. MOISTURISE

Yes, we’re yelling! Because this one is sooooo important!

Before you go to bed each night, apply an anti-ageing moisturiser that contains hyaluronic acid (we can recommend a good one… These Days Active Moisturiser. This stuff holds water like nothing else and is best applied at night for optimum results.

5. Get tied up

If your mind immediately went 50 Shades of Grey, that’s not what we meant (though we won’t judge). Instead, we’re talking about your hair. The natural oils in your hair can upset your skin, so be sure to get tied up by popping your hair up in a high pony or bun before you hop into bed so it stays off your face overnight.

6. Hold the salt!

Most of us enjoy indulging in salty foods and alcohol. But it’s important to avoid them before you sleep. Both these guilty favourites can dehydrate your body, which responds by trying to compensate. Unfortunately, this means it tends to collect fluid around your eyes, causing puffy eyes. So steer clear of the salt and booze before bedtime.

Get the beauty sleep you deserve

Sleep is such an important part of your day. And while you might not be getting as much of it as you’d like, these 6 sleep tips will help you get the maximum beauty benefit out of the ZZZZs you are getting, every night.

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Are moisturiser and serum interchangeable? We say nope!

Moisturiser and serums treat the skin differently.  Serums are formulated to help keep the skin in good condition whereas moisturiser is for hydrating.  Skin is made up of layers.  The top oil-based layers are best conditioned by oils whereas an active moisturiser will help the water-based deeper layers retain moisture.  For best results use both - pop moisturiser on twice daily then add a little concentrate oily serum every night.

Naturally (organically & veganly), we recommend our These Days Active Face Moisturiser and Wide Lovely Eyes, Eye and Face Serum for this important skin health job. 

From dawn to dusk, we are all about Liptember.  Today only… we are reducing our 100% natural, vegan lippies from $28 to $20 AND will be donating $5 from every lipstick sold to this important women’s mental health campaign*.

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For more information about Liptember, or to donate directly to this cause, click here. 

*Valid via online store only.

To throw our support behind Liptember and help raise funds…tomorrow (yay for Saturday!) we will be donating $5 from every lippy sold to this important women’s mental health campaign.

AND to entice you to help us contribute as much as we can, we’ll be reducing our 100% natural, vegan lippies from $28 to just $20 each. Win, win…win!

*Valid Saturday 2 September. Online Aust only.

The most important time to look after your skin is in your 20’s & 30's - not when you see your first wrinkle 👵🏻If you want healthier more youthful looking skin in your fabulous 40's and beyond, in addition to being sun safe, you need to use antiaging products to strengthen, protect and repair your skin.

It’s easy to give up when you don't see short term results but it's easy peasy to do - just a slip of cream and pop of serum daily and done!

50 year old you, will want to kiss you 💋

We have value bundled our two key antiaging products, These Days Active Face Moisturiser , Wide Lovely Eyes, Face and Eye serum and  together into a skincare set . You can enjoy 20% off as well as healthy skin with our Skincare two set .

Windswept hair...and paper-like cuts on your lips 😳 Follow these 3 tips to get your pout from parched to pashworthy by Friday. Windburn is essentially really dry, thirsty and irritated skin caused by (wait for it…) the wind 😱 but also cold temperatures and low humidity that suck the oils from skin.

Made on a nourishing base of jojoba and avocado oils, shea butter and vitamin E and infused with orange peel oil for its antiseptic benefits and no synthetic toxics, Shine On lipbalm is our year round go-to for soft, sensual lips.

After just one night’s sleep, our bed linen collects dead skin, dirt, bacteria and fungus. Ew! This build up of dirt and nasties can lead to breakouts, skin irritations and even sickness. We know the drill about washing bed linen weekly, but because our hair holds so much dirt + pillowcases are against our face, we should change our pillowcases every second day. Worth a whirl particularly if you suffer from facial breakouts and inflammation.

Clean sheets = simple pleasure.

The constant influx of new products featuring the latest anti-ageing and skincare trends can cause, even the savviest of shoppers, major head spins. To help you shop for a good face moisturiser (and prevent intoxication by mystical claims and the fancy price tag that goes with) we’ve put together a '4 moisturiser must-have ingredients' checklist:

🌱Emollients to hold moisture and soften skin - think coconut or avocado oils, olive squalane, shea butter.

🌱Antioxidants to help defend against environmental elements like kakadu plum, vitamin E or green tea extract.

🌱Alpha Hydroxy Acids to remove dead skin cells and reveal glowy skin. Look for natural AHAs such as hibiscus extract.

🌱Last one, skin-replenishers to penetrate lower layers and attract and maintain water in the skin.

Naturally (and organically 😉) our active face moisturiser checks these 4 boxes. Shop our These Days Active Face Moisturiser here.